RDA+cover+letter

 //RDA: Resource Description and Access// is the new cataloguing standard that will replace AACR2. Implementation is expected to happen in late 2010 or early 2011. Canada needs an efficient and cost-effective implementation plan//.// During the period of time when documents and training are being developed in preparation for RDA implementation, it will be very helpful to have a picture of training experiences and training needs. Your feedback through this questionnaire will provide background information. There will be moments when decisions about alternatives must be made. While it may not be possible to honour everyone's preferences, the information we collect from the Canadian cataloguing community may influence decisions about the content and delivery of training.

We are members of the  RDA Training Needs Assessment Working Group, which is part of the Technical Services Interest Group (TSIG) of the Canadian Library Association. As part of TSIG’s mandate to keep abreast of recent developments and to provide a forum for communication, TSIG will be playing a role in facilitating RDA implementation in Canada. The questionnaire prepared by the working group is one part of TSIG’s involvement in RDA training and implementation.

The questionnaire has two purposes: (1) to provide an opportunity for you indicate your highest priorities for RDA training; (2) to gather information about your experiences with different training methods. The questionnaire has 5 parts, with a 6th part for supervisors, and will take 20-30 minutes to complete.

The online survey tool does not collect any information that personally identifies you. Your answers will be completely anonymous. In addition, we will carefully review the findings before reporting them, to ensure that the findings do not identify any individual respondents. Your participation is entirely voluntary. Submitting the completed survey will constitute your consent to participate. The questionnaire is only submitted when you click on the final “Done” button. If you decide to begin the questionnaire and then change your mind, you may simply close the tab or window. Your results will not be recorded. Your results are recorded only when you click the “Done” button on the last screen.

At this point, our chief purpose is to gather data for internal planning, to inform decisions related to RDA training in Canada. If the responses to the questionnaire uncover interesting and significant trends, we may decide to share our findings through conference presentations and/or journal articles. Before we release any findings, we will carefully assess the compiled results to ensure that identification cannot be inferred. You are welcome to contact any member of the Working Group with your questions or concerns. Our email addresses are listed below. To complete the questionnaire go to @http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JCY3ZBG

Thank you for providing this valuable feedback. TSIG RDA Training Needs Assessment Working Group

Investigators: Alison Hitchens, University of Waterloo ahitchens@uwaterloo.ca Brian Rountree, Red River College brountree@rrc.mb.ca Chris Oliver, McGill University chris.oliver@mcgill.ca Marianne Reid, Brandon University, reidm@brandonu.ca Trina Grover, Ryerson University, tgrover@ryerson.ca

Liaison with the Executive of the Technical Services Interest Group: Marcia Salmon, York University msalmon@yorku.ca